The Backyard's Weekly Bird Walk locations are found in the Backyard Bird Report at the very end of the most recent report. Any cancellations will be posted by 8am the day of the walk.

Sunday 13 December 2015


BIRD REPORT:
“EXPLORE NATURE”---GO BIRDING:
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at
thebackyard@shaw.ca
Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone
number along with the date, the species and location of your sighting.
********************************************************************

Sunday, December 13, 2015
The Sunday bird walk went to Nanoose Bay. The morning started out steady rain, but soon stopped raining and the wind was calm. A large flock of Trumpeter Swans flew high over head heading south. We spotted a Red-tailed Hawk perched high on a tall tree and it was soon joined with another Red-tailed Hawk on the same branch.  A Bewick’s Wren, a Spotted Towhee, a Fox Sparrow, a Song Sparrow several  Golden-crowned Sparrows and a Dark-eyed Junco were feeding on the ground next to the cars, giving us great close up views.

           Red-tailed Hawk: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Three birders saw and heard the following thirty-four species:
Trumpeter Swan
Canada Geese
  American Wigeon
 Eurasian Wigeon
 Green-winged Teal
 Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
 Common Goldeneye
  Mallard
 Greater Scaup
 Northern Pintail
 Horned Grebe
 Red-necked Grebe
 Red-breasted Merganser
 Pelagic Cormorant
 Double-crested Cormorant
 Great Blue Heron
Belted Kingfisher
 Bald Eagle
 Red-tailed Hawk
Glaucous-winged Gull
 Northern Flicker
 American Robin
Northwestern Crow
  Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bewick’s Wren
Redwing Blackbird
 Spotted Towhee
 Fox Sparrow
 Song Sparrow
 Golden-crowned Sparrow
 Dark-eyed Junco 
 Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
Saturday, December 12:
Several Evening Grosbeaks were seen along Lowery Road near the Cheese Factory in French Creek. 
Tuesday, December 08: 
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the English River Estuary in Parksville. The morning started out with light rain and calm winds, but the rain showers stopped shortly after we began and it was quite warm, making for a great morning of birding. We heard and then saw a Ringed-neck Pheasant at the base of a short bush at the edge of the meadow. A Merlin, a Red-tailed Hawk, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk were seen in the same area along the meadow.  Six Western Meadowlarks were perched on a bush in the meadow. Four Gadwall were swimming in the flooded estuary. Twenty Trumpeter Swans were heading down the island high above us. Over forty Bald Eagle were circling overhead and  perched on the tall conifers all morning.

                         Western Meadowlark: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Four enthusiastic birders saw and heard the following sixty-one species:
Canada Geese
Trumpeter Swan
 American Widgeon
 Mallard
 Harlequin Duck
Gadwall
 Surf Scoter
White-wing Scoter
 Bufflehead
Barrow’s Goldeneye
 Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
 Common Merganser
 Common Loon
 Pacific Loon
Pelagic Cormorant
  Double-crested Cormorant
Brandt’s Cormorant
Common Murre
Marbled Murrelet
 Great Blue Heron
 Bald Eagle
Merlin
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Coopers Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
 Mew Gull
 Thayer's Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull
 Anna's Hummingbird
 Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
  Northwestern Crow
 Common Raven
Steller’s Jay
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Ringed-neck Pheasant
 American Robin
Varied Thrush
 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
 Bewick's Wren
 Pacific Wren
 Bushtit
 Golden-crowned Kinglet
 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
 European Starling
Western Meadowlark
 Spotted Towhee
Red-wing Blackbird
Brewers Blackbird
 Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
 Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch
Red Crossbill
American Goldfinch
 House Finch
Pine Siskin

                  Ring-necked Pheasant: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

********************************************************************
Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on the Sunday and
Tuesday mornings. We leave from the Store at 9 a.m. on Sunday Mornings and go to a different location in and around Nanaimo and from the Parksville Beach Community Park at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and go to different areas in and around the Oceanside area.
*****************************************************************************************
The Tuesday bird walk on December 15, 2015 will be going to  Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet at Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Kids Playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the main parking lot at Rathtrevor Park at about  9:10 a.m.

*****************************************************************************************
The Sunday bird walk on December 20, 2015 will be going to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. Meet at the birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the Bowen Road entrance to Buttertubs Marsh at about 9:15 a.m.

********************************************************************Nanoose Bay Christmas Bird Count --Friday, 18th

December 2015.
Please contact Rhys Harrison at 248-5305 or rhysharrison@shaw.ca 
********************************************************************


Parksville Qualicum Beach Christmas Bird Count, Sunday, December 20, 2015.
Please contact Sandra Gray, 250 248-5565 or saninerr@shaw.ca
********************************************************************
Nanaimo Christmas Bird Count, Sunday, December 27th, 2015.

Please contact Rhys Harrison at 248-5305 or rhysharrison@shaw.ca
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE
6314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo B.C.
V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Fax: 250-390-1633
Email:
thebackyard@shaw.ca
Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.co

 

No comments: